Strand handling apparatus



Nov. 21, 1944. c. c, SMITH 2,363,205

STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS v Filed June 25, 1943 //VVN TOR CC. SMITH ATTORNEY amw Patented Nov. 21, h

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE p zpeazos' chulefmwa ifftf uffnor to.

i Western Electri c Company, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y.,a corporation of New York nt cem a, 194:, steamers w A a reclai s. (cam-42) Thisj invention relates strand handling ,api or paratus, and more particularly to apparatus for winding continuous fllament strands, I a

In the communication arts continuous filament 1 strands, such; as cellulose acetate rayon,"glass' or the like, are frequently used in l formingwinsulating coveringsyon electrical conductors. In such instances, materials; are withdrawn from pre wound packages and un'less there exists a constant-a tension on the material while i it is i being withdrawn for serving about a conductor, the

smooth and flberless nature of the material will result in its: sloughing oif'the package iand becomingtangled and broken. Furthermore, due

to the nature of such materials it isextremely material on the package willslough therefrom. It has, therefore, been found'advantageous .to

condition the material during the forming of the package thereof; so that during future handling, such as during the preparation of the material for serving on a conductor, the smooth nature of the material will be sufliciently reduced to eliminate sloughingof the the package.

convoiutions thereof from- An object of the invention is to provide a strand handling apparatus which isisimple in structure,

easily operable and highly efllcient'in winding strands and roughening the filament structurethereof during winding.

With this and other objects in view, the inven tion comprises a strand handling apparatus having rotatable arbor upon which a plurality of ends of material may be wound into a package,

a distributor element movable relative to the arbor to distribute the ends of "material thereon in forming the package and to roughen the convolutions ofthe material thereon, and a guide to cause relative travel of the ends of thematerial in transversedirectionsin engagement with each other to furtherroughen the material. Other objects and advantagesiwill be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompany-1 ingdrawing, wherein h Fig. 115 anfragmentary front elevational view of the apparatus, portions thereof being broken.

away; i i

tionsor he apparatus illustrating the travel of i w the material ends toward the package; and

Pigtails atop plan view of oneof the distributors, this view being taken substantially along the .line4,4 ofFig.2. v i

Referring now to the drawing,iparticularly Fig.

w 1, an;arborl0,"journalled insuitablebearings l|,- i w ,is driven by belt and lpulley connection H with a suitablepower means not shown). In the pres- ;ent instance tubular supports l4; upon which packages l5 are formed of ends l8 and ll of the material, are removably: disposed upon the arbor I 0* byl any suitable'power means (not shown).

The details :of: this structure are not thought necessary for acomplete understanding of the filaments, and is naturally extremely smooth. However, during the distribution ofthe portions or ends of :thematerial during the forming of the packages; certain of the fllaments in each end ll and-llare-broken, causing these broken iilamentsor'fibers to \intermingle and to inter lock to retain the convolutions of the materials orends inplace-and 'against'sloughing from the package; A reciprocating element l9, movably disposed in a recess of asupporting guide 2!, has integral arms 22 for adjustably receiving and supporting projections 23o! distributor elements 24. A shelf :251serves also to back-up and support the arms fl'duringreciprocable movement of the element 19; The supporting guide 2| has Fig. 2' is an enlarged fragmentary endeleva- 'tional view of the apparatuaiportions thereof being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary topplanview ofpork legs 28 formed fol-pivotal mounting upona shaft 2a and xisinonnallyurged counterclockwise (Fig. 2) by aspring 30, the tensional force of which may bevaried through adjustment of its connections SI and 32 with a fixed member 33.

Returninginow to the distributor elements 24,

which are identical instructure; a description of one being applicable to both, it will be noted that arecess ormaterial receiving groove 35 therein element across the-package during the forming thereof. w An attachment 31, fixed as=at 38to the element 24, provides individual material receiving notches 38a for usein varying the spacing of the ends of; the material prior to their entering the grooves", i l l i The means to reciprocate the element I 9 mcludes a roller bearing: pin 40, receivable in a peripheral groove 4| to a rotatable cam 42, carf f ried bythe element 19 and projecting throughy an elongate aperture 43-in the bottomfofthe recess 20. The cam 42 is fixedly mounted, as at 45, upon the shaft 29, the latter being journalled in suitable bearings 46. A gear 41, mounted upon the shaft 29, is driven by a pinion 48 fixedly mounted upon a shaft 49, the latter being driven through a belt and pulley connection 50 with the arbor l0.

A stationary guide 52, suitably mounted parallel with the arbor l and a desired distance therefrom, has a plurality of material receiving notches or apertures 53 therein through which the ends I6 and I1 pass in travelling to their respective distributor elements.

In preparing the apparatus for operation, the ends l6 and I! which are to be wound into one of the packages I! on the arbor I ll, are threaded through desired apertures or notches 53 in the stationary guide 52 and are crossed, as illustrated in Fig. 3, prior to being positioned in selected notches 39 of the distributor. The transverse angles of the ends it and I! as they move rela-' tive to and in engagement with'each other,"may be varied to vary the degree of roughness resulting from the disturbing efiect upon each-other as they cross in travelling from the stationary guide to the distributor. The ends are then positioned in the groove 35 and are attached to their respective tubular support I4 on .the arbor 10; The same arrangement takes place for each set of ends.

Energization of the power means (not shown) causing rotation-of the arbor through the belt and pulley connection II, will cause the arbor to rotate at a givenspeed during the reciprocable movement 01' the distributors to distribute'the 4 ends of materials for the forming 'of the packages reciprocated through the rotation of the cam 42 andits conthereof. The distributors are nection 40 with the element is, causing the latter to slide in the recess 20, the distributors .in-

cluding the arms 22 sliding upon the shelf 25.

The spring 30 applies suflicient force to hold the distributor elements adjacent the outer surfaces of their respective packages during the forming thereof, and while the elements 24 traverse the surfaces of the packages, the sharp edges 38 will further .roughen the materiahbreaking certain of the fibers without damaging the material;

Through the dovetail connection between the element 24 of each distributor and its arm 22, the elements 24 may .be adjusted relative to their supporting arms 22 to vary the effect of the edges 38 on the material forming the packages. It will be noted that the general contour of the elements engaging the packages is accurate or rounded, the sharp edges 36 merging into solid smooth surfaces. Therefore, the lower the elements are 130- sitioned, moving the rounded solid portion away various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support upon which a plurality of strand may be :wound into a package, a distributor'element movable relative to the support to distribute the strands thereon, and means cooperating with the eleinent to cause the strands to travel in transverse directions to the element and in engagement with each other to cause "roughening of the strands by causing them to 1 element.

roughem'ng oi the strands.

. 2. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support upon which a plurality of strands may be wound into a package, a guide for spacing the strands, a distributor element movable relative to the support to distribute the strands thereon, and means movable with the element' and cooperating withth'e guide to cause travel in transverse engaging paths toward the 3. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support upon which a plurality of strands may be wound into a package, a distributor element movable relative to'the support to distribute the strands thereon, spaced guides for the strands, and means interposed between the guides and the element to cause the strands to travel infltransverse engaging paths prior to reaching the element to cause roughening of the strands.

'4. A strand handling apparatus comprising a' rotatable support upon which a plurality or strands may be wound into a package, a distributor element movable relative to the support to distribute the strands thereon, and'means carried by the element and movable therewith to cause the strands to travel in transverse engaging paths through variable angular directions to. cause variable roughening eflect on the strands. g

5. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support upon which a plurality of strands may be wound into a package, a distributor element movable relative to the support to distribute the strands thereon, and a plurality from the material, the greater will be the disturbance of the material by these edges.

Therefore, through the apparatus shown a plurality oi ends of materials may be guided in transverse engaging paths through variable angular directions, to cause varying disturbing eil'ects upon the material at the juncture of these paths, the material being .further disturbed by the disof spaced guides selectively adapted to cause the strands to travel in transverse engaging paths through variable angular directions to cause vari able roughening eil'ect on the strands.

6. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support, means to rotate the support to cause winding 01' a strand material into a package thereon, and a distributor element movable relative to the support to distribute the strand material thereon and adapted to ride on and thus roughen the material or the package.

7. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support, means to rotate the support to cause winding of a strand material into a package thereon, and a. distributing element movable relative to the support to distribute the strand material thereon to form a package of a given length and formed to scrape over and thus roughen the material forming the package.

I 8. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support, means to rotate the support to cause winding of a strand material into a rotatable support, means to rotate the support to cause winding of a strand material into a package thereon, a distributing element adapted, during movement thereof relative to the support, to distribute the strand material thereon and having an edge engaging the material on the support to roughen it, and means to vary the relative po3ition of the said edge of the element and the material of the package to vary the roughening effect thereof on the material.

10. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support, means to rotate the support to cause winding of a strand material into a package thereon, a distributing element movable relative to the support to distribute the strand material thereon to form a package of a given length and formed to scrape over and thus roughen the material forming the package, and means to apply a variable pressure to the element to vary the toughening efieot thereof on the material.

11. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support, means to rotate the support to cause winding of a strand material into a package thereon, a distributing element adapted, during movement thereof relative to the support, to distribute the strand material thereon and having an edge engaging the material on the support to roughen it, means to vary the relative position of the said edge of the element and the material of the package to vary .the roughening efiect thereof on the material, and means to apply a variable pressure to the element to vary the roughening effect of the said edge thereon.

12. A strand handling apparatus comprising a rotatable support upon, which a plurality of strands of material may be wound into a package, a distributing element movable relative to the support to distribute the strand material thereon to form a package of a given length and formed to scrape over and thus roughen the ma terial forming the package, and means to cause the strands to travel in transverse directions tn the element and in engagement with each other to cause roughening of the strands. 5

1a; A strand handling apparatus strands of material may be wound into a package,

a distributing element movable relative to the support to distribute the strand material thereon to form a package of'a given length and formed to scrape over and thus roughen the material forming the package, spaced guides for the strands, and means interposed between the guide; and the element to cause the strands to travel in transverse engaging paths prior to reaching able pressure to the element to vary the roughening eifect thereof on the material.

16. A strand handling apparatus comprisinga rotatable support upon which a' plurality of continuous filament strand material may be wound I into a package, a distributor element movable relative to the support to distribute the strands thereon, and means carried by the'element to cause roughening of the strands by causing them to travel in transverse engaging paths toward the element.

- 0. SMITH. 

